Nikon D810A: The first full-frame astrophotography DSLR is here to help you shoot the stars

Nikon has announced its new D810A DSLR camera that's design specifically to shoot the stars. Yes astrophotographers this is the full-frame DSLR you've been waiting for, trumping Canon's EOS 60Da in terms of sensor size and resolution.

Nikon says the D810A offers "the best image quality in the history of Nikon digital SLR cameras", just as it did with the original D810. That high definition is achieved by the 36.3-million pixel Nikon FX-format CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter, paired with the latest Expeed 4 image processing engine.

But it takes more than raw power to create an astrophotography camera. The D810A specialises in reproducing vivid reds in images of nebulae that emit H-alpha light, for clearer shots of nebulae and galaxies. This is thanks to the optical filter on the front of the image sensor, capable of four times greater transmission of H-alpha light than is used with the standard D810.

Another addition that helps astrophotography is the addition of a long-exposure manual mode that can manage a hefty 900 seconds, an increase on the standard D810's 30 seconds. There is also a live view preview function that gives a preview of the shot at a shutter speed of 30 seconds, when exposure is longer than 30 seconds in the final shot.

The Nikon D810A is expected to launch at the end of may, with a body-only price of £3,000, making it £300 pricier than the original D810. Look to the stars, then look to your bank for some extra cash if you want this specialist DSLR.